1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to adhesive wound dressings, and, more particularly, to planar adhesive wound dressings that become non-planar to conform to the shape of the heel by using slits that cover the ankles and Achilles tendon.
2. Technical Background
The use of planar bandages for use on non-planar surfaces is well established because of the ease of packaging and application of planar bandages. Slits have been used in planar bandages to provide a means for converting the planar bandage into a non-planar bandage which conforms to the surface of a joint such as a heel or elbow. The edges of the slits are pulled together and joined to make a continuous non-planar dressing. Slits have not been useful because they are associated with wrinkling, buckling, leakage, detachment and contamination. These undesired effects result from the inability of slits to adapt to sharply curved contours and changes in contours as a joint is flexed. One effort to overcome these problems was the use of pleats instead of slits. However, the construction of planar bandages to form pleats is relatively complex, and the formation of the pleat in application can also be complex. In addition, the pleat extends out from the dressing and may cause discomfort when wearing a shoe if the dressing is applied to the heel. What is needed, therefore, is a planar wound dressing using durable effective slit closures for application to the heel.